A method of fabricating and controlling a thick-film transducer array for steering and focusing ultrasonic waves within a substrate volume is provided. A ceramic film composition can be coated on a substrate volume in one or more layers. The ceramic film can be masked with a plastic sheet out of which an electrode pattern is cut. Conductive electrode material can be applied to the pattern to create a transducer array that can be polarized with an applied electric field. A method of controlling a thick-film transducer array comprises exciting one or more array elements to generate a wavefield in a substrate volume, the wavefield can be reflected by features within the substrate volume, one or more array elements can receive reflected wavefield signals, and images of the insonified substrate volume can be generated.

A system for reporting one or more events of interest in a structure, including an apparatus configured to be securely adhered to a surface of the structure, the apparatus having a flexible portion which conforms to a shape of the surface of the structure. The flexible portion containing a sensor to measure mechanical strain in the surface of the structure, and conductive traces to connect the sensor to electronics. The electronics to capture and buffer a signal output by the sensor, and a computational element to analyze the captured signal into a polynomial representing an event of interest. The system further including a wireless communication element to transmit the event of interest.

A system for reporting one or more events of interest in a structure, including an apparatus configured to be securely adhered to a surface of the structure, the apparatus having a flexible portion which conforms to a shape of the surface of the structure. The flexible portion containing a sensor to measure mechanical strain in the surface of the structure, and conductive traces to connect the sensor to electronics. The electronics to capture and buffer a signal output by the sensor, and a computational element to analyze the captured signal into a polynomial representing an event of interest. The system further including a wireless communication element to transmit the event of interest.

An ultrasound transducer, wherein the ultrasound transducer includes a membrane including a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the membrane is configured to vibrate and generate an ultrasound in response to voltage applied the transducer, wherein the membrane includes a perimeter including a plurality of sides and a top surface and a bottom surface with one or more feet extending away from the bottom surface; and a support member that attaches to and connects to the membrane and supports the membrane, wherein the support member includes one or more platforms extending to and attaching to the membrane and a substrate, wherein a first end of the platform connects to the membrane and includes a support portion, wherein the support portion away from the platform, wherein the platform includes the one or more piezoelectric layers, wherein the one or more platforms support and surround the membrane.

A method for controlling at least two mechanical oscillators, more particularly in a motor vehicle, where each oscillator oscillates at a frequency during operation and where the frequency can be controlled by the power applied to the oscillators, includes arranging a single sound transducer at a distance from the oscillators and capturing an electrical signal, where the electrical signal is subjected to a Fourier transform and thus a Fourier spectrum is determined. The frequency of each oscillator is determined from extreme values of the Fourier spectrum.

A method for controlling at least two mechanical oscillators, more particularly in a motor vehicle, where each oscillator oscillates at a frequency during operation and where the frequency can be controlled by the power applied to the oscillators, includes arranging a single sound transducer at a distance from the oscillators and capturing an electrical signal, where the electrical signal is subjected to a Fourier transform and thus a Fourier spectrum is determined. The frequency of each oscillator is determined from extreme values of the Fourier spectrum.

An ultrasonic sensing device includes a housing, a piezoelectric assembly, a board and a plurality of fixing members. The housing includes a connecting board being a metal board and a supporting shell being a plastic member. The supporting shell includes a bottom wall opposite to a disposing opening of the connecting board and a surrounding side wall integrally surrounding and connecting to the bottom wall. The surrounding side wall encloses a portion of the connecting board. The piezoelectric assembly includes an encapsulating body and a piezoelectric sheet enclosed by the encapsulating body. The encapsulating body is disposed on the bottom wall and surrounded by the surrounding side wall. The piezoelectric sheet has a sensing surface exposed to the encapsulating body and facing the bottom wall. The fixing members fix the board on the connecting board, thereby pressing the sensing surface of the piezoelectric sheet to the bottom wall.

An ultrasonic sensing device includes a housing, a piezoelectric assembly, a board and a plurality of fixing members. The housing includes a connecting board being a metal board and a supporting shell being a plastic member. The supporting shell includes a bottom wall opposite to a disposing opening of the connecting board and a surrounding side wall integrally surrounding and connecting to the bottom wall. The surrounding side wall encloses a portion of the connecting board. The piezoelectric assembly includes an encapsulating body and a piezoelectric sheet enclosed by the encapsulating body. The encapsulating body is disposed on the bottom wall and surrounded by the surrounding side wall. The piezoelectric sheet has a sensing surface exposed to the encapsulating body and facing the bottom wall. The fixing members fix the board on the connecting board, thereby pressing the sensing surface of the piezoelectric sheet to the bottom wall.

An electro-acoustical transducer such as a Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers is coupled with an adjustable load circuit having a set of adjustable load parameters including resistance and inductance parameters. Starting from at least one resonance frequency or at least one ring-down parameter of the electro-acoustical transducer a set of model parameters is calculated for a Butterworth-Van Dyke (BVD) model of the electro-acoustical transducer. The BVD model includes an equivalent circuit network having a constant capacitance coupled to a RLC branch and the adjustable load circuit is coupled with the electro-acoustical transducer at an input port of the equivalent circuit network of the model of the electro-acoustical transducer. The adjustable load parameters are adjusted as a function of the set of model parameters calculated for the BVD model of the electro-acoustic transducer to increase the bandwidth or the sensitivity of the electro-acoustic transducer.

An electro-acoustical transducer such as a Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers is coupled with an adjustable load circuit having a set of adjustable load parameters including resistance and inductance parameters. Starting from at least one resonance frequency or at least one ring-down parameter of the electro-acoustical transducer a set of model parameters is calculated for a Butterworth-Van Dyke (BVD) model of the electro-acoustical transducer. The BVD model includes an equivalent circuit network having a constant capacitance coupled to a RLC branch and the adjustable load circuit is coupled with the electro-acoustical transducer at an input port of the equivalent circuit network of the model of the electro-acoustical transducer. The adjustable load parameters are adjusted as a function of the set of model parameters calculated for the BVD model of the electro-acoustic transducer to increase the bandwidth or the sensitivity of the electro-acoustic transducer.